Fordham Looks to Halt Skid Against Surging Saint Bonaventure

KNAPP CREEK, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Saint Bonaventure Bonnies will look to protect their home court and solidify their strong start to the season when they host the struggling Fordham Rams in an Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Reilly Center.

Saint Bonaventure (11-4) enters the contest with the more impressive overall record but is seeking to rebound from a 89-80 home loss to Richmond on Wednesday. The Bonnies have shown resilience this season, including a notable road win at Florida Atlantic last month.

Fordham (9-7) arrives on a three-game losing streak, with all losses coming in A-10 play against George Mason, Richmond and Dayton. The Rams’ most recent outing was a 67-58 defeat to George Mason on Wednesday.

A key matchup will feature Fordham guard DeJour Reaves against Saint Bonaventure’s Darryl Simmons. Reaves has been a consistent offensive force for the Rams, scoring between 16 and 19 points in each of his last five games. He is coming off a 16-point, 5-assist performance against George Mason.

Simmons has been a workhorse for the Bonnies, logging 40 minutes in three of his last four contests. He scored 18 points in the loss to Richmond and poured in 22 points with 7 assists in a narrow road loss at VCU on New Year’s Eve.

For Fordham to snap its streak, it will need more scoring support behind Reaves. Jack Whitbourn added 14 points in the last game. Saint Bonaventure will rely on Simmons and contributors like Dasonte Bowen (15 points vs. Richmond) and Frank Mitchell (14 points, 5 assists vs. Richmond) to control the tempo at home.

The Bonnies have been strong at Reilly Center this season, boasting a 7-1 record in Knapp Creek. Fordham is 1-3 in true road games.

This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams this season. They are slated to meet again at Fordham on Feb. 7.

Following this game, Saint Bonaventure travels to face Saint Joseph’s on Wednesday. Fordham’s conference road trip continues at Saint Louis on Jan. 14.